Clinical Overview of Long COVID – CDC

Introduction to Long COVID

Long COVID, also known as Post-COVID Conditions (PCC), is an infection-associated chronic condition that can occur after SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, and is present for at least 3 months as a continuous, relapsing and remitting, or progressive disease state that affects one or more organ systems. The definition for Long COVID will continue to be evaluated as data are collected, analyzed, and reported and our understanding of the chronic condition improves. Most patients appear to recover from their initial acute COVID-19 illness within 4 weeks, even though many patients continue to recover between 4 and 12 weeks. Long COVID is associated with:

It can be difficult to distinguish symptoms caused by Long COVID from symptoms that occur for alternative reasons.

Long COVID is heterogeneous and may be attributed to different underlying pathophysiologic processes. Possible etiologies include:

Researchers are actively studying the prevalence, mechanism, duration, and severity of symptoms following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as risk factors associated with developing Long COVID. Research shows certain groups of people are more likely to develop Long COVID, including:

A wide range of symptoms and clinical findings can occur in people with varying degrees of illness from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. These effects can overlap with multiorgan complications, or with effects of treatment or hospitalization and can persist after the acute COVID-19 illness has resolved. While more than 200 Long COVID symptoms have been identified, commonly reported symptoms include:

Some patients may feel embarrassed about their symptoms, have experienced stigma or experienced difficulty in being believed. It is important for healthcare providers to:

Different onset patterns for Long COVID have been identified, including symptoms and conditions that can:

Documenting SARS-CoV-2 infection and Long COVID, also referred to as Post-COVID Conditions, is critical for accurate public health surveillance.

U09.9 Post COVID-19 Condition, unspecified to establish a link with COVID-19; not to be used in cases that still are presenting with acute COVID-19. The code should be used for patients with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and who are identified with a Post-COVID Condition.

Keep reading: Additional assign codes for specific conditions and symptoms can be found at2022 ICD-10-CM Guidelines.

Preventing severe outcomes of COVID-19 illness reduces peoples risk of developing Long COVID. These severe outcomes include hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit, or intubation.

Healthcare providers can advise their patients on protecting themselves against severe COVID-19 by:

Clinicians may clinically evaluate and diagnose Long COVID based on patient history and findings from a physical examination, while others might require directed diagnostic testing. Currently, no laboratory test can be used to definitively diagnose Long COVID or to distinguish Long COVID from conditions with different etiologies.

For most patients, the goal of medical management of Long COVID is to optimize function and quality of life through established symptom management approaches, which may include:

Patients with Long COVID may experience some of the symptoms that occur in other disorders. These patients may benefit from symptom management approaches used to manage symptoms of:

Treatment of Long COVID should be tailored to a patients specific symptoms or conditions, includingFDA-approved or over-the-counter medications. Holistic support for the patient throughout their illness can also be beneficial. Healthcare providers play a significant role in supporting their patients and can further help patients with Long COVID by:

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Clinical Overview of Long COVID - CDC